Hi Merlin Fandom! We're happy to announce that we will be back for a fourth year!
The Rare Pair Fest will run on the following dates this year:
Prompting: August 15th - 31st
Claiming Starts: September 7th, time tba
Works Due: October 26th
Posting: November 3rd - 30th
General Info:
This is a prompt-based fest: during the prompting period, people will be able to submit up to ten prompts through a form. Those will be compiled into a list, and once claiming comes around, writers and artists can claim one of the submitted prompts to create for.
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You do not need to prompt if you want to create, and prompting does not mean you have to create for the fest!
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Once you are done, submit your work to our 2026 AO3 Collection. Itâll stay unrevealed until the posting period comes around.
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The schedule has been adjusted so that the posting period will make it easy to cross-post fills with Merlin Bingo, and its Rare Pairs, Minor Characters and Gen Works Bonus Badge.
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More detailed info regarding the fest and its minimum requirements can be found in our Rules! You can also find all relevant info in our pinned post, or in the dedicated Rare Pair Fest Channel in the Merlin Fic Book Club Discord Server! <3
from you, my friend, I ask just one thing â shine your light in eventide â companion till all hope has died â until life and death will reunite
- Eventide (Kamelot)
whisper whisper in the dark â tell me what you see â poisoned by your fly infested poetry â LIAR LIAR on the wall â give the world to me â a wasteland or a monarchy?
- Liar Liar (Kamelot)
â„ Thank you everyone for joining us again for another fantastic year, we hope to see you all again next year!
â„ Weâve had some amazing remixes this year and want to thank all of our remixers for your hard work - youâve been FABULOUS.
â„ Thank you to everyone who read, commented, kudosed or showed love in any way for the works created. And if you havenât left some comments, kudos, or love, hereâs your chance!
Your ever-loving mods, Sknits & Fifty â„
FIC: CheesyBug6 created I'd die without the taste of you (The Sunday Brunch Playlist Remix) for little_dhampir
(Gwaine/Percival â Explicit â 2445w)
Summary: It's the morning after Percy went home with Gwaine, and Percy is struggling with Gwaine's fancy coffee machine.
FIC: dhpanya10 created made of truth (the dolma's disguise remix) for linorien
(Gen â Gen â 3785w)
Summary: After Morgana is dead and magic is legal, one would think Emrys' dumb disguises would not be needed.
OneâMordredâwould be wrong.
FIC: MyKingdomComeUndone created Say no to this (the âyesâ Remix) for aeternanyx
(Arthur/Merlin â Teen and Up â 6243w)
Summary: It's a tale as old as time: two childhood friends, a marriage of convenience, and definitely no messy feelings, unrequited or otherwise. A look at Arthur and Merlin's relationship through the eyes and ears of six people close to them.
or
Five times Arthur and Merlin's friends and family despair of them ever getting their shit together, and one time they finally get it right
FIC: Linorien created A Trick of the Mind for CheesyBug6
(Gen â Gen â 2741w)
Summary: After a stressful week at court, arguing legal loopholes, Merlin takes a week off to visit his mother. His magic, on the other hand, is a little more petty.
FIC: Personaje created Silk (The Black Satin Remix) for BeBraveDearHeart
(Arthur/Lancelot â Explicit â 1100w)
Summary: âI found something,â Lancelot said, a smile on his lips, and slid a hand into a pocket of his trousers. He pulled out a piece of black fabric.
A long, black piece of silk. Arthur swallowed as recognition dawned.
FIC: Salamandair created stand by you (have your back always) (the "guilty conscience" remix) for Dhpanya
(Merlin/Arthur | Gen - Mature - 808 words)
Summary: Leon meets up with Merlin after everything that happened in the Armory to talk.
Well, to apologize, is more accurate.
FIC: AgapantoBlu created Dragon's herd (The "She's so helpful" Remix) for BreadBoxRye (Knightswaypoint)
(Arthur/Gwen/Merlin - Mature - 24,165 words)
Summary: Arthur is going mad, as his father before him. There is no other explanation as to why, randomly, when he is alone, he will start seeing a small white dragon hell-bent on stealing Excalibur from him.
Or is he?
FIC: aeternanyx created something like lightning for ravenwilds
(Merlin/Arthur - Teen and Up - 1,400 words)
Summary: If lightning only strikes once, then Merlin was glad to have been struck. It'd be foolish to want more.
FIC: BeBraveDearHeart created No Better Place (The Stuck On Your Heart Remix) for eachpeachpearplum
(Gwaine/Percival, Gwaine/Merlin, Merlin/Percival â Teen and Up â 3033w)
Summary: Merlin and Gwaine have reconnected by chance after a decade, and Gwaine introduces his ex-boyfriend to the man he's going to marry, who acquaints himself with a whole new relationship.
FIC: Cookie created A King and a Father (The In For Keeps Remix) for fifty_fifty
(Merlin/Arthur â Teen and Up â 5174w)
Summary: Being the king means meeting the expectations of his people. Uther knows this and has spent his life in service to his country. He is proud of his role and the good he can do. Sometimes, though, he curses it, because what he wants more than anything, is for his children to be happy. If only he could tell them that.
ART: KnightsWaypoint (BreadBoxRye) created Tidying Hands (Blemish on a Mirror Remix) for AgapantoBlu
(Gen â Gen â Digital Art)
Summary: Hunith helps Merlin and Morgana prepare for their upcoming meeting with King Arthur Pendragon and all the emotions that will entail.
FIC: EachPeachPearPlum created when the night has come (the so sweet remix) for Personaje
(Lancelot/Merlin - Explicit - 2,822 words)
Summary: For almost a month now, Merlin has been coming to Lancelotâs room in the evening, after Lancelot has dined with his fellow knights. Itâs been long enough for it to feel routine, comfortable and well-worn. Lancelot has the knife ready, and a clean cup for Merlin to drink from. Heâll cut his arm, bleed as much as Merlin will allow him to, and then Merlin will heal the wound, drink every drop from the cup, and be on his way.
It works, more or less, but Lancelot has still spent most of the day trying to work up the courage to ask for more.
Or: Lancelot asks Merlin to bite him for the first time. Everyone is happy with how it works out.
FIC: ravenwilds created All In One Piece (the Back remix) for Cookie
(Merlin/Arthur - Teen and Up - 5,257 words)
Summary: Arthur comes back from deployment in Afghanistan to his husband Merlin and their one year old son, but something is missing
FIC: little_dhampir created Trivia (K)nights (The Kiss Cam Remix) for Salamandair
(Gwaine/Percival - Teen and Up - 2,069 words)
Summary: All their friends had to cancel, leaving only Percy and Gwaine to defend their teams honour at their monthly trivia night.
FIC: fifty_fifty created I Would Have Stayed Up With You All Night (The âHad I knownâ Remix) for MyKingdomComeUndone
(Merlin/Arthur - Teen and Up - 8,386 words)
Summary: "I'm off for a couple of days at the weekend. I was asking because I was thinking of taking off for a bit and going to help out my mum. I haven't been for a while and I used to go all the time."
"Sounds like a good idea.," Arthur agreed. "I'm sure she'll be glad to see you, and you could definitely do with some sun."
"Says the man who spends all his time in an operating theatreâŠ"
"How else do you think I keep my gorgeous tan? It's that theatre lighting."
"Why don't you book some time off next week? Heavens know you're owed it by now." Merlin paused, his face hesitant. "Look, I know that we haven't been dating for all that long. So if you say no, I'll totally understand. I promise I won't be offended."
there are places in the world today that are experiencing 40°C for the first time in recorded history. of course there's no way to know whether chucking billionaires into volcanos will appease the sun god but i feel we're doing the scientific method a disservice if we don't at least try
Title: No Better Place (The Stuck On Your Heart Remix)
Creator: ???
Work Type: Fic
Work URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86024916
Remixee Name: eachpeachpearplum
Link to Work Remixed: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52010989/chapters/131527996
Pairings: Gwaine/Percival, Gwaine/Merlin, Merlin/Percy
Length: 3,033 words
Rating: Teen and Up
Warnings: Mentions of past infidelity
Notes: N/A
Summary: Merlin and Gwaine have reconnected by chance after a decade, and Gwaine introduces his ex-boyfriend to the man heâs going to marry, who acquaints himself with a whole new relationship.
alright I've got to do some quick math to explain attitudes towards AI to my boss.
we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)
please rb for larger sample size!
Question 1/3
What is your age, and do you feel AI is a net positive or net negative in our lives today?
just wrote 10 paragraphs to my MP asking him to push back against the EHRC's updated guidance, aka the trans bathroom bill.
Durham pride happened today. the Reform UK led council cut the funding, with the deputy leader, a gay man himself, citing "gender ideology, kids on puberty blockers, and men in women's spaces" as the reason he disapproved of pride. it went ahead thanks to group such as Durham Miner's Association fundraising (solidarity forever!) but the fact still stands that this attack on trans people hurt the entire queer community.
this new guidance hurts queer people in many ways (another example: gay and lesbian couples where one person is trans will no longer be protected as same sex couples under the Equalities Act) and of course, hurts our trans siblings the most (feeling unsure or unsafe about using public bathrooms will lead to trans people going out less. trans men are expected to either break the law or simply not go. trans people will be excluded from pools, gyms and spas that don't have mixed sex changing rooms.)
i wrote about all that, but you may have your own thoughts or relevant experiences about how this guidance has or will impact you or your loved ones. so write it. call on your MP to do the following:
Demand full parliamentary scrutiny, debate and a free vote on this Code.
Support any motion tabled in Parliament objecting to it.
Write to the Minister for Women and Equalities and the Prime Minister.
or, if you don't have it in you to write ten paragraphs (which is very understandable), you should still fill out this email template with your own personal touches and sign this petition, if you're british. and if you're not british, you should reblog this so your british followers can see it.
40 days. One email. Your name on the right side of history.
Launch a review into strengthening legal protections and clearer enforcement against discrimination, harassment and exclusion of trans women
don't save this for later. don't put a pin in it, planning to come back to it later. later may never come. we only have 31 days. do it now while it's on your mind. it really doesn't take long.
Merlin/Lancelot, 5k, Mature, No Warnings. Hanahaki disease.
âIâm fine,â Merlin repeats, clearing his throat. He wipes his mouth, but somethingâ
Somethingâs on his lips. Something red, and Lancelotâs heart drops to his stomach at the sight of it.
But then Merlin gets closer to take the basket back, and Lancelot is able to see it better. Dumbfounded, he takes it from Merlinâs lip and holds it between his fingers.
âIs thisââ He looks up at Merlin. Wide blue eyes are already on him. âIs this a petal?â
The other night husband and I were watching a documentary about the yeti where they were doing DNA analysis of samples of supposed yeti fur, and every one of them came back as bears.
Anyway, the next night we watched a thing about some pig man who is supposed to live in Vermont. People said it had claws and a pig nose but walked upright like a man. Now, I happen to know that sideshows used to shave bears and present them as pig men. So every piece of evidence they gave of this monster sounds to me like a bear with mange.
So now the running joke in our house is that everything is bears. Aliens? Bears. Loch Ness monster? Bear. Every cryptozoological mystery is just a very crafty bear.
Bears. Theyâre everywhere. Be wary. Anyone or anything could be a bear.
As the OP of this post, Iâm going to threaten that if this gets to one million notes by the 10 year anniversary on 1 June 2026, one year from today, I will get a lower back tattoo of the loch ness bear monster.
